What would people say about you when you die? It’s a question we rarely ask ourselves. Yet, the loss of an amazing colleague and nationally known professional speaker, Jeanne Robertson, has me pondering these very questions.
What you won’t see is that there have been over 500,000 searches for her obituary and her name in the last five days!
Remember, this is a woman who had been Miss North Carolina, the president of the National Speakers Association and a member of the Speakers Hall of Fame. Her You Tube Channel has over 114 million subscribers. Yes, she was a ROCK STAR to thousands. Maybe that’s what makes the comments I am seeing and hearing a better testimony to a life lived NOT as a rock star.
“I was a newcomer to the association. I didn’t know anyone—much less her. But she came up, hugged me, and said, ‘welcome home.’”
“My wife and I were sitting alone at the big annual NSA banquet. Jeanne asked if she could sit with us. Some of the NSA REALLY important people came up and asked her to join them at another table. She politely declined and said she preferred to sit with us!”
“Every time she came to my city, she’d come to visit my elderly mother and me. They talked heart-to-heart. Mom died exactly one year ago, and I am convinced they are talking together as angels.”
“She was a mentor to many. A brilliant, gifted storyteller who made people laugh at their humanity—and hers. She was indeed a GOAT… greatest of all times.”
And so much more… over 1.2 million comments on her Facebook page and she died less than a week ago. Her professional page on Facebook is https://www.facebook.com/JeanneLaughs/.
The lessons for me—and maybe to you—are these:
Don’t let a day go by without letting people feel important and cared for.
Stop taking yourself so seriously. I have been dealing with aggravating computer issues. “Time to lighten up, Eileen. It’s only a computer!“
Look for the funny and make jokes.
You are never too old to learn and try new things.
Titles are meaningless. But each one’s name is priceless.
Rest in Peace, my friend.
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